This invention relates to railway cars for transporting trailers and more particularly, to an improvement in hitch assemblies for such railroad cars in which removal and replacement of a retainer pin used with the assembly is facilitated.
Railroad cars for transporting trailers include a hitch assembly. The hitch assembly includes a head for capturing the king pin of the trailer being hauled. A portion of the head assembly includes a retainer pin which extends transversely of the car and head assembly. This pin may be removed and replaced during periodic maintenance on the railroad car. In the past, a plate has been welded to the side of the head assembly to cover the opening in the head assembly through which the retainer pin is installed. Consequently, removal and replacement of the pin requires the plates to be unwelded from the side of the head assembly. After a new retainer pin has been installed, a new plate is then placed over the openings on each side of the head and these plates are then welded to the head assembly. This is both a time consuming and expensive procedure, because of movement of the car to repair facilities for use of burning and welding equipment. What is required, is a structure which both facilitates removal and replacement of the retainer pin, without requiring a plate be welded and unwelded, and at the same time insures that the retainer pin, after installation, is not dislodged from the head assembly.